ArtsBridge

Just one week left to get early bird pricing for our New York City Audition Workshop! Train with professors from top performing arts colleges to get your material ready for college auditions!

Visit our LinkInBio to register and learn more🌟

Congratulations to Mathew Fedorek! Mathew is currently touring with the national tour of Funny Girl as a swing and understudy. 🌟

Mathew attended ArtsBridge Summer '17 and '18 for Musical Theater. Even though it's been six years, he says he still uses things that he learned at ArtsBridge today, "I learned from Quinn Gordon (UNSCA) that acting is doing. As soon as I started DOING things on stage, in the text, I was finally able to get out of my head (most of the time)!" Mathew's biggest piece of advice for student's attending college for the performing arts is, "to treat yourself like a pro athlete! Fuel yourself, sleep well, and take care of your health. This work may seem simple, but it's not easy." As for students currently applying for performing arts programs, Mathew says, "you're auditioning for, essentially, a 4 year contract. Who you are as a person is much more interesting than what you can sing and how many turns you can do!"

Break legs, Mathew! We're so proud of you! If you can, be sure to catch him on the Funny Girl National Tour!✨

Just a few weeks left to access early bird pricing for our upcoming New York City Audition workshop! Elevate your song, monologue, technique, and confidence with one-on-one guidance from Musical Theater and Acting faculty from top college programs:

Amanda Flynn (Pace University)
Cameron Knight (Rutgers University)
Kathleen McNenny (The Juilliard School)
John Simpkins (Penn State University)

They know the college audition process better than anyone, because they're the ones running it! Check out https://hubs.la/Q02PLS7f0 to learn more and sign up!

The academic semester is in full swing! To celebrate the beginning of a new school year, some ArtsBridge alums shared pictures of us from their first day of class 🌟

Get your audition materials ready! We're hosting a workshop on November 23 & 24 in New York City with faculty from some of the top performing arts colleges in the country, including:

Kathleen McNenny (The Juilliard School)
Cameron Knight (Rutgers University)
John Simpkins (Penn State University)
Amanda Flynn (Pace University)

Both Acting and Musical Theater students are welcome to join. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis. Visit our linkinbio to register and pay by September 30 for early bird pricing! We're looking forward to seeing you there! 🌟

It's been awhile since we've highlighted an ! After making his Broadway debut in Aladdin, Jimin Moon (Musical Theater '18) is returning to broadway to share the stage with Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Blvd. Break Legs, Jimin! We love watching you thrive!✨

Grab your headshots, monologues, and songbooks... TODAY IS THE DAY! ☀️
We can't wait to start this journey with all our students. Be sure to stay tuned, our amazing staffers will be taking over our stories over the course of the program. Staffer Jamilah Muhammad kicks off the series today by showing us around move in!
See you on campus!✨

FOUR 👏DAYS👏 LEFT 👏
For our last (but certainly not least) staff feature, we are sharing advice from Conor Picard, who is apart of SUNY Purchase Acting class of 2027.

Conor attended ArtsBridge in 2022 for Musical Theater. He says that his experience as a student at ArtsBridge taught him "how to take myself seriously as an artist. The expectations supported and uplifted my own expectations for myself. It gave my reason for being an actor more meaning, and shifted the way I choose to present myself to the world." His favorite memory from this time was "my first acting class with Julie Boyd. It was the most free I've ever flet to just be, right there in the current moment and time." His biggest piece of advice for incoming students is "make sure you rest. You're using your voice and body all day... self care is the biggest priority." Finally Conor wants all the incoming students to, "Remember you are talented, you are an amazing artist, and you are enough. And have fun!"

We couldn't agree more! Grab your headshots and monologues, we'll all be together on campus in just a few short days!

There's officially ONE WEEK until ArtsBridge Summer!☀️

ArtsBridge Summer is so close we can almost taste it! We're gearing up to be back on campus with another staff feature.☀️

This week it's Leah Steinman's turn! Leah is on track to receive a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University in 2027.

Leah attended ArtsBridge in 2022 for Musical Theater. Her favorite memory from her time on campus was, "meeting an entire community of wonderful people who are passionate about the same things I am. We pushed each other to learn more and supported each other no matter what." Leah says the biggest lesson she learned at ArtsBridge was, "Don't let yourself go crazy over perfection. People want to see the authentic version of You. Mistakes are the best way to learn." ArtsBridge helped her prepare to study the arts in college by teaching her time management, "I had to plan out learning new songs and monologues, while also ensuring I was on time to classes and getting enough sleep!" Ultimately Leah wants incoming students to know to "Take risks! Volunteer for anything and everything ArtsBridge has to offer."

Hard to believe we're just one staff feature away from seeing all our staffers and students in person on campus! Stay tuned for more.✨

We've made it to our very last Faculty Friday of 2024! ☀️

In honor of that, we're highlighting Sara Whale of Baldwin Wallace University, our soon-to-be home for the next few weeks! Sara is returning to ArtsBridge as a member of our Musical Theater Faculty.

Sara Whale attended the Juilliard School before joining Ram Island Dance and the Maine State Ballet where she performed, taught and choreographed for both Portland, Maine based companies. During her career she has performed dance works by Charles Weidman, George Balanchine, Linda MacArthur Miele, Randy James, Daniel McCusker, Jeff Duncan, Dan Wagoner, Buffy Miller and Doug Varone. She has been the recipient of grants for choreographic and educational development in dance from the Maine Community Foundation, Maine Arts Commission, The Libra Foundation and The King Foundation. Sara moved to Cleveland in 2007 after earning a BFA in Graphic Design from Pacific Northwest College of Art. As a proud member of the Cleveland dance community she has choreographed, taught and performed with Meg Louise Dance, Dancing Wheels, Marquis Dance Project, Ohio City Theatre Project, the annual Playhouse Square Dance Showcase, Great Lakes Theatre and Verb Ballets. Sara has been an Assistant Professor of Dance at Baldwin Wallace University since 2010, where she teaches all levels of ballet and modern dance technique, Improvisation and Choreography, Dance Pedagogy, and directs fyoo zh en, the annual dance concert, and the Testing Ground Series which features danceworks-in-progress and text/movement based performances.

Welcome back to ArtsBridge, Sara! To see our full faculty list, visit https://hubs.la/Q02z5PMx0.🌟

The countdown to ArtsBridge Summer continues!🌟

This week we're featuring Lucy Ferguson who is a member of the BFA Musical Theater class of '26 at Indiana University.

Lucy attended ArtsBridge Summer in 2019 for Musical Theater 2. She wants to let incoming students know, "While you're at ArtsBridge be sure to jump in and be open to trying new things!" this mindset allowed Lucy to flourish at ArtsBridge, "I learned at ArtsBridge that no one can ever perform something like you, because no one is YOU! Ever since, I have brought myself and my own authenticity to every performance." Her favorite ArtsBridge memory as a student is the dance class warm up to "Symphony," "I had memorized it and it became my new warm-up for a year!" Her biggest piece of advice is to "Come in ready to work, try to be comfortable learning new things, and don't judge the work if it's different! Different can be scary, but without stepping out of your comfort zone, you'll never try new things that could open a whole new side to who you are as a performer."

We have just a few features left until we're all on campus! Keep tuning in for more advice from all our amazing staffers.✨

We're celebrating the end of the week with another Faculty Friday! Today we're featuring Rick Edinger of Carnegie Mellon University, who is returning to ArtsBridge Summer as a member of The Musical Theater faculty!✨

Rick Edinger (he/they) is a proud q***r AAPI music supervisor, conductor, educator, vocal coach, pianist, and actor. They serve as the Area Chair for the Acting/ Music Theater program & Associate Professor of Music Theater at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama. For the School of Drama, they have served as Music Director or Music Supervisor on productions such as Punks, and Raging Queens (Gary Kline, director), …Great Comet, Cabaret, Godspell (Tomé Cousin, director), Into the Woods (Matthew Gardiner, director), and HAIR (Jason A. Sparks, director), as well as Vocal Coach/Music Advisor for A/B Machines (Phillip Gates, director).
Some recent Music Supervisor or Music Director credits include: The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical (La Jolla Playhouse; Christopher Ashley, director), The Visitor (The Public Theater; Daniel Sullivan, director), Trading Places (Alliance Theatre & Pre-Broadway Workshop; Kenny Leon, director), and Joy: A New Musical (George Street Playhouse; Casey Hushion, director).
As a strong advocate for new work development, Edinger plays a large role in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s (NAMT) annual endeavors as a member of the NAMT Board of Directors and has served as a consultant for NAMT’s annual Festival of New Musicals.
Rick made his Broadway debut (as an actor) in Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures.

We're thrilled to have you back, Rick! To read more of their bio and see our full list of faculty, visit https://hubs.la/Q02z5Qx_0.🌟

Drumroll please!🥁

Today it's Sabrina Schubert's turn to be featured! Sabrina is a rising senior at Oberlin Conservatory, studying Classical Voice Performance.✨

Sabrina attended ArtsBridge Summer in 2020 for ArtSong. She says even though it was over zoom, she was able to meet amazing people who made a huge impact on her. "I would say that meeting all the faculty and colleagues for the first time was my favorite memory." Furthermore, meeting the faculty "definitely gave me a fantastic look into what studying the arts in college would be like! I loved being able to have lessons and coachings with faculty from world renowned conservatories." Sabrina's biggest piece of advice for incoming students is to remember that, "Everybody wants you to succeed, so don't be afraid to put yourself out there and be confident in yourself! Learn as much as you can and make connections with the people around you!"

Stay tuned for more advice from our staffers as we continue our countdown 'til campus!🌟

Happy Faculty Friday, everyone! ✨

This week it's Kathleen McNenny's turn! Kathleen is a faculty member at the Juilliard School of Drama and will return as faculty for our Dramatic Acting program this summer!

Kathleen is a native of Montana and has been a faculty member at Juilliard since 2001. She holds a BFA from the University of Montana and a diploma from The Juilliard School of Drama. Kathleen studied mask with Pierre Lefebvre and Mina Yakim. In addition to Juilliard, she teaches Mask work at Rutgers University and the Actors Center. Kathleen is a founding member of the Cape Cod Theater Project. She is also a proud arts volunteer for ASTEP (artists striving to end poverty) where she most recently was in India at Shanti Bhavan teaching theater. A few of her professional acting credits include:
Broadway: THE FATHER, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, A FEW GOOD MEN.
Off- Broadway: MIND GAME, COMEDY OF ERRORS, TWELFTH NIGHT, WINTERS TALE.
TV: "Person of Interest", "The Good Wife", "New Amsterdam", "Law and Order", “CI" and "SVU", FILM: Morning Glory, School of Rock, It could Happen to You.

To learn more about Kathleen and the rest of our faculty join us at https://hubs.la/Q02z5Mlk0

ArtsBridge Summer is officially one month away! To celebrate we're sharing more advice from our staffers. This week we're featuring Annie Brown, who is pursuing a BFA in Acting at the University of Minnesota. Annie attended ArtsBridge Summer in summer of 2022 in the Dramatic Acting program. ✨

Annie says ultimately, attending ArtsBridge helped her realize that she wanted to attend a BFA program for college, "ArtsBridge gave me a taste of what I wanted out of my college experience, surrounded by people who are as passionate about their craft as I am." Annie's favorite ArtsBridge memory is, "Talent Show night! Watching everyone go up and show off what they can do." Her biggest piece of advice for incoming students is that, "Everyone is here to learn and grow. Use this opportunity at ArtsBridge to get to know yourself as a young artist. Find out what you're looking for in a program through the countless resources ArtsBridge provides you. Come in, guns blazing, and take the chance to play for two weeks!" Finally, she wants incoming students know to "Spend time outside. It's so beautiful in July and August, so use the weather to hang out with your friends."

You already know what day it is.... It's Faculty Friday!✨

This week we're introducing another member of the Musical Theater faculty team, Geoff Packard! Geoff is an assistant professor of Acting and Directing at University of Michigan.

As an actor, Packard has been seen on Broadway in Bandstand, Matilda, Rock of Ages, and Phantom of The Opera, as well as the first national tour of Wicked, and in theaters such as: The Old Globe (San Diego) Papermill Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre (D.C.), Ford’s Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Signature Theatre (DC), Huntington Theatre, Court Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, KC Rep, and Goodspeed Opera House.
Packard has a Joseph Jefferson Award (Chicago), a Helen Hayes Award (DC), and an IRNE Award (Boston) for Leading Actor in a Musical. He received a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA from SUNY Stonybrook. He and his wife, Chelsea Packard, have been running a summer musical theatre workshop called The Broadway Intensive for the past 10 years out of Ann Arbor, MI.

Welcome to ArtsBridge Summer, Geoff! To learn more about Geoff and the rest of our faculty, check us out our LinkInBio.🌟

Happy Monday! Today we're highlighting another staffer for the quickly approaching ArtsBridge Summer '24! 🌟

Gavin Ditz is a rising junior at Penn State University who is returning as staff after attending ArtsBridge Summer as a Musical Theater student in 2020 and 2021.

Gavin says that ArtsBridge prepared him for college by allowing him to release all his audition nerves before having to step into an audition room. He says this is largely thanks to the classes he took with Gary Kline and John Simpkins, which are among his favorite ArtsBridge memories. As a two-time alum, Gavin says incoming students should be sure to "network and get to know the people you are auditioning with!" His biggest piece of advice is for incoming students to, "take the pressure off yourself! You already got in and everyone here wants you to succeed."

Thanks for sharing, Gavin! We have more advice from our staff rolling out until the start of ArtsBridge Summer! Stay tuned for more✨

Welcome back to another Faculty Friday! We're introducing another member of the ArtSong faculty today: Kevin Wilson of Boston Conservatory at Berklee!✨

Kevin Wilson is a master voice teacher, clinician, and 21st-century vocal pedagogue. His teaching is influenced by over 18+ years of study of anatomy and physiology, historical pedagogies, voice and speech, and acting. Kevin joined the Boston Conservatory voice faculty in 2008 and serves as Director of Vocal Pedagogy and as Associate Professor of Voice. Kevin’s students have performed at prestigious venues such as the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric, New York City Opera, as well as off-Broadway and in regional theaters and tours throughout the world. His current and previous students have appeared on Broadway in Moulin Rouge, Cats, Beautiful, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia, Once, Hamilton, Lion King, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, The Bands Visit, Cinderella, Evita, and many more. Kevin travels the world as a clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer giving master classes and lectures on vocal health and musical theater and classical pedagogies. He has presented at the National Association for Teachers of Singing National Conference, and the Pan European Voice Conference. In 2019 he was named Master Teacher for the prestigious National Association for Teachers of Singing Intern Program. He holds a Masters in Vocal Pedagogy from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelors of Music in Voice from the University of Central Oklahoma. He continued his music studies at the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory, in vocal anatomy and physiology at Boston University Sargent School of Health, and studied voice and speech with Kristin Linklater and Catherine Fitzmaurice. He maintains private studios in Boston and New York City.

To view the full faculty list for ArtsBridge Summer '24 visit https://hubs.la/Q02z5Njc0!🌟

In addition to our top ArtsBridge Staff, we are excited to announce to you our Interim Director of ArtsBridge Summer who will be joining us this year, Laura Marie Duncan! You may recognize her or know her from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. During the school year, she is a full-time Professor of Theater there and directs the annual musical theater senior showcase. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge as both a teacher and administrator and we are thrilled to have her joining us this summer.

Welcome to the team, LMD! We are lucky to have you with us this year!

We're back with advice from another staffer!✨

Kaycee Lark is joining us as a Musical Theater staffer for a second summer in a row! She just completed her freshman year at Penn State University where she is pursuing her BFA in Musical Theater.

Kaycee attended ArtsBridge Summer in 2020 and 2021 for Musical Theater 2. She says that attending ArtsBridge helped her understand how much work would be expected of her when attending a college program, and that specifically, "having to learn material in a short amount of time is very useful." Though she attended ArtsBridge as a student over zoom, there was no shortage of memories, which were mainly accumulated through her group's groupchat, "It was still Zoom ArtsBridge, so we communicated mostly through text and it was so much fun." Her advice for incoming ArtsBridge students is to talk to the counselors, "We're all very eager to help and answer questions, not just about college and the process, but also life."

We're thrilled to have Kaycee back on campus for another summer! Stayed tuned as we rollout more advice from our staffers in the coming weeks! 🌟

Happy Faculty Friday!

This week we're welcoming Helen Farmer back to ArtsBridge Summer! Helen is the Head of Acting at the Molloy University/CAP 21 BFA program. She is returning in summer '24 to serve as faculty for Dramatic Acting.✨

Originally from Canada, Helen was trained as an improviser at Keith Johnstone’s Loose Moose Theater, worked at Toronto’s Second City and is a veteran of several Fringe Festival shows. A Meisner trained actor, Helen received an MFA in acting from Rutgers University’s MGSA. She pursed Meisner teacher training under the tutelage of Kevin Kittle (formerly of MGSA) and spent several years working alongside him while at Rutgers. Helen is a certified Alexander Technique teacher and was part of ArtsBridge’s inaugural GapYear program, where she taught Movement for the Actor. After 9 years at Rutgers teaching in both the BFA and MFA programs, Helen has recently started a new role as the Head of Acting at the Molloy University/ CAP 21 program in New York.
Regional credits include: Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Stratford Festival, Crossroads Theater, The Classical Theatre Lab, Shakespeare in the Rough, Theatre and Co, Dorset Theatre, and Co-Lab Arts. New York theatre includes work with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Project Y Theatre, Boundless Theatre Project. Recent projects include: the US premiere of Kotryna Gesait’s Cocoon and the audio pod cast series “The Lovely Dark”.

To learn more about Helen and the rest of our amazing faculty, visit https://hubs.la/Q02z1g1m0!🌟

Happy Monday! We're celebrating more of our graduates today.✨ As always, check out for more!

Happy Faculty Friday! Today we're highlighting Melissa Foster from Northwestern University who will serve as faculty for the Musical Theater program! ✨

Melissa Foster is an educator, voice specialist, theatre artist, researcher, and speaker. She specializes in musical theatre, pop styles, the history and performance of hip-hop, and opera/musical theatre crossover.

Foster is Associate Professor of Instruction in the Musical Theatre area of the Department of Theatre at Northwestern University. She is on faculty for The CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute with a focus on “Teaching Pop Styles,” she is a rap and R&B coach for Rock the Audition, and she is a resident vocal consultant for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She has also been guest faculty for Broadway Breakthru, IHSTA, Stagelighter, The Cherubs Program, and she serves as artist in residence for the ArtsLink Foundation.

Foster has taught countless masterclasses and workshops around the world. Highlights include a co-taught, live-streamed Masterclass with world renowned opera legend, Renee Fleming. Foster’s Presentation of “Rocking the Singing Boat: Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Folk, Country and R&B Styles” has been seen in numerous venues nationwide. Upcoming guest lectures include multiple universities including Temple, Goshen, Samford, and Oakland. This summer, Foster is presenting at the National conference for the National Association of Teachers of Singing with a 4-hour featured workshop on Hip-Hop and Accessibility. She is the Chair of Voice for the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance and is also on their executive committee. Melissa currently lives in Chicago with her Husband Matt, and their 9-year-old daughter, Viva.

Welcome back to ArtsBridge, Melissa! We can't wait to have you back on campus.🌟

Believe it or not, ArtsBridge Summer is just around the corner! To prepare, we've asked our staffers to share some advice for our incoming students. 🌟

Our first feature is Abigail Schwartz! Abigail just completed her freshman year as a BFA in Acting student at Montclair State University.

Abigail first attended ArtsBridge Summer in 2021 as a Musical Theater 2 student, before returning as a Dramatic Acting Student in 2022. She wants to remind incoming students to, "Eat breakfast. Fuel yourself, and fuel your art!" Abigail says that ArtsBridge was a great introduction to different techniques that are offered at different colleges, "It can be overwhelming, but you figure out what works for you! During your first college classes, you’ll be prepared to jump right into the work." Abigail's favorite ArtsBridge memory was a movement workshop with Heather Benton where she experienced movement training for the first time. "It was a revelation, and I remember the pure excitement on the face of everyone who participated!" Her biggest piece of advice for incoming students is to, "take advantage of the opportunities provided, and never lose sight of fun— your best work will come from finding the joy!"

We're so excited to have everyone back on campus in just a few short months! We'll be highlighting our staffers until the start of ArtsBridge Summer on July 19th! Keep tuning in to see some familiar faces 🌟

Happy Faculty Friday! Today we're highlighting Dina Kuznetsova of the Cleveland Institute of Music, who is returning to ArtSong as faculty this summer!

Russian-American soprano Dina Kuznetsova has performed on the stages of many of the world’s greatest opera houses. From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Gianni Schicchi with Sir Antonio Pappano), to the San Francisco Opera (Pamina in The Magic Flute with Donald Runnicles) and Metropolitan Opera (Samaritana in Francesca da Rimini with Marco Armiliato), Kuznetsova has garnered a reputation as one of today’s most compelling sopranos.
An alumna of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s young artist program, Kuznetsova went on to star in a number of new productions at the theater, including Cunning Little V***n, Rigoletto and, marking her role debut as Tatyana, Eugene Onegin opposite Dmitry Hvorostovsky under Sir Andrew Davis. Since, she has built a name as an outstanding interpreter of Tchaikovsky’s leading lady, attracting acclaim from subsequent productions, including Desdemona (Otello) with the Gulbenkian Orchestra under Lawrence Foster, Alice Ford (Falstaff) at Glyndebourne under Vladimir Jurowski (available on DVD), and CioCio San in Anthony Minghella’s production of Madama Butterfly at English National Opera under Gianluca Marcianò. Kuznetsova reprised Rodelinda for the Bolshoi Theatre in Richard Jones’ production under Christopher Moulds, a production that won the prestigious Golden Mask award.
A keen recitalist and chamber musician, Kuznetsova appeared regularly at both the New York Festival of Song and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has performed at numerous chamber music festivals throughout the country, including La Jolla Music Festival, LaMusica in Sarasota and Moab Music Festival.
Kuznetsova is a long-standing member of New York Festival of Song Artist Council and joined the CIM faculty in 2018.

Welcome back to ArtsBridge, Dina! Applications to ArtSong are still rolling. Visit https://hubs.ly/Q02wf2Zn0 to apply!

We have more ArtsBridge Alums to celebrate! Congrats to the class of 2024 🌟

It's Faculty Friday! This week we're highlighting Colleen Longshaw Jackson of Baldwin Wallace University, who is returning as faculty for Musical Theater 2!

Colleen Longshaw Jackson is a lecturer of Music Theater at Baldwin Wallace University and is currently the director of community partnerships and programming at Cleveland Play House. At Cleveland Play House, Jackson was part of the team to receive a grant from the US Department of Education to develop and implement the CARE program (Compassionate Arts Remaking Education). CARE uses theatre education to teach social emotional competencies and to increase English Language Arts scores in the K-12 student population. Jackson is a Certified Trauma Professional, a certification she uses in conjunction with anti-racism and equity, diversity and inclusion facilitation and training. She became a member of the Actor's Equity Association in 2003 and continues to work as a professional actress. Her work as an actress and commitment to the craft make dismantling oppressive systems within theatre a burning priority and one which she is passionate about improving.
Credits include: "Kiss Me, Kate" (National Tour), "The Groove Factory" (New York Music Theatre Festival), "Hairspray" (Northshore Music Theatre, Porthouse Theatre), "The Piano Lesson" (Cleveland Play House), "The Color Purple" (Karamu House), "Dreamgirls" (Cain Park), "Once On This Island" (Porthouse Theatre), "Big River" (Porthouse Theatre), "Godspell" (Porthouse Theatre, Cain Park), "Aida" (The Beck Center), and "Twelfth Night" (Ohio Shakespeare Festival).